The opportunities are
endless for this fabulous
family home in the heart of the
Burton Valley Neighborhood.

This charming, ranch home is approximately 1700 square
feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, lovely hardwood floors and
vaulted living room ceiling. The kitchen has views of the
front yard and opens to a level .23 acre backyard with patio and inviting rose garden. The seamless indoor/outdoor
living provides for gracious entertaining, great family fun
areas, a child’s play structure, outdoor kitchen, and a garden.
You will love the walkability and biking that Burton Valley offers - no carpools to arrange! Walk to Burton Valley Elementary
School, and the coveted Merriewood’s Children’s Center, Rancho
Colorados Swim and Tennis Club, Las Trampas Swim Club and
bike to Stanley Intermediate School on the Lafayette Bike Trail.
A very special neighborhood which provides all these amenities,
conveniences.

Beautiful 4 bedroom, 3 bath home in prime
neighborhood. Walk to Northgate H.S. Home
has been meticulously maintained and
updated throughout. Lush backyard with a
pool, rolling lawn, deck off dining room, hot
tub and view of /Mt. Diablo. Close to parks,
shopping, trail and Mt. Diablo.
$1,125,000

Conveniently situated in the Park Pavilion
subdivision, near the intersection of Ygnacio
Valley Road and Clayton Road, this 3 bedroom,
2,5 bathroom home boasts 1448 sqft of living
space. Located on the largest lot in the
subdivision the home also features a pool.
$475,000

NEW MODERN CLASSIC FARMHOUSE WITH PRICELESS VIEWS ON 2.07 ACRES IN PRESTIGIOUS HAPPY VALLEY

Extraordinary new residence by SpringHill Homes boasts 4,225 sqft of absolutely stunning living spaces on a rare 2.07 acre Happy Valley lot
with epic views of Lafayette Reservoir, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic tower and the surrounding hills. Just completed, this spectacular family home was designed
by renowned architect Alan Page of Talon Design Group and has 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, oversized 2 car garage, privacy, a phenomenal
and open floor plan perfect for California indoor/outdoor living, premium timeless finishes and awe-inspiring scenic views from every room.
Highly desirable and private Happy Valley location is walking distance to downtown Lafayette and BART. Award winning schools.
www.1204GlenRoadLafayette.com | Offered at $3,650,000

www.annsharf.com ~ ann@annsharf.com
Giving Dreams an Address

April Matthews
925.253.2147

dreamhomelamorinda.com
aprilmat@comcast.net
CalBRE#01221153

The LINDA FRIEDMAN Team presents

Historic Orinda Country Club Estate
Walk to town from fabulous 5 bedroom traditional home with gracious formal living and dining rooms, light and airy gourmet
kitchen/family room, spacious play room plus detached cottage. French doors, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, 3 fireplaces,
private master suite. Beautiful grounds include a completely separate lot--can be sold independently, retain as estate property,
or create family compound! First time on market in half-century!
$2,498,000

THERE IS A “LOT” YOU CAN DO HERE
Much of the hard work is done.
Get ready to break ground on your
dream home.

Amy Rose Smith
925.212.3897
amy@amyrosesmith.com
CalBRE: #01855959

Karen Murphy
k.murph@comcast.net
(925) 788-6322
CalBRE: #00699318

After two years of painstaking design review, this premium Wilder lot with sweeping views of the beautiful
valley is available for Re-Sale. Including impressive plans
for an approx 4500-5000 sqft home designed by award
winning modern architect Bob Swatt. Please contact
us for further information and a tour of the site.

Parkmead Gem: Built in 1995, this gorgeous home is located on a quiet court in a prestigious neighborhood and features a great floorplan and
lovely views. The 3325 square foot home offers beautifully updated living space, a coveted 3-car garage, a fabulous master suite with views, a
gorgeous kitchen/family room combination with vaulted ceilings and a very private guest bedroom with a private bathroom and a separate entrance.
There’s amazing storage, the rear yard is private and lush and the kids can walk to K-12 years of top schools! Hurry on this one! $1,345,000.

Lakewood Charmer: This beautifully updated single-story rancher offers
an idyllic location in the coveted Lakewood area. The neighborhood is
known for its wooded setting, fine homes, and of course,Walnut Creek’s
only lake! Walk to highly acclaimed Indian Valley Elementary and stunning
Shell Ridge Open Space and yet you’re just a few minutes to downtown
Walnut Creek, BART and the 680/24 interchange. Beautiful inside and
out for a list price of about $900K! OPEN SAT/SUN, 3/4 & 3/5, from 1-4.

Saranap with Lafayette Schools: So charming, inside and out!
Located in a super sweet neighborhood near the Lafayette trail, this
updated, single-level home features a fabulous master suite with a stunning
master bath, a kitchen that opens to the family room, raised, wood beam
ceilings, hardwood floors, over 2000 square feet of living space and so much
more! You’re close to downtowns Walnut Creek and Lafayette, two BART
stations and the 680/24 interchange. Great location and a great price too!

Antonia is a Walnut Creek native and a second-generation Walnut Creek realtor with stellar client
reviews and a track record for earning homeowners the most money on the sale of their home*.
*Based on MLS data for the average dollar per square foot of homes sold in WC from Jan. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2016 by the top 3 Walnut Creek listing agents.
Antonia ranks #1 in getting homeowners the most for their home.

THIS EXQUISITE CUSTOM ESTATE exudes sophistication and expert craftsmanship with a functional design that provides gracious
entertaining and comfortable everyday living. Beautifully appointed throughout with an eye for detail and the finest of finishes. Step outside
to enjoy enchanting gardens, level lawns, expansive outdoor entertaining areas, pool and cabana with fireplace and outdoor kitchen.
Ideally located near to downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shopping and restaurants, BART, Hwy 24 & top rated schools. This is a perfect place to call home!
Call Stella for Additional Details and to Arrange a Private Showing!

16 Fallen Leaf Court, Lafayette
Situated on a fabulous cul-de-sac in the sought after Silver Dell pocket of Lafayette sits this wonderful 4BD/2.5BA updated
rancher. With 2,581+/- sq.ft., this single story home enjoys an open floorplan and great living spaces including formal
living and dining rooms, lovely kitchen that opens to a great room overlooking the yard, great master suite and a separate
laundry room. Enjoy the fantastic flat .55+/- ac. yard with pool, play and entertaining areas. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this true gem!
16FallenLeafCourt.com | Call for Price

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Rare Downtown Jewel!
14 Moss Lane, Lafayette

Ideally situated just minutes from downtown Lafayette, BART &
freeway access sits this rare opportunity to own a charming turn-key
2BD /2BA home in Deerhill Park. This 1,442+/- sq.ft. home is tucked
back at the end of Moss Lane offering both privacy & convenience
as well as a wonderful open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, hardwood
floors, large bedrooms and a lovely private patio & garden area.
14MossLane.com | Offered at $799,000

Gorgeous, custom 4,732+/- home located on over 1.25+/- acres with views of
the Valley offers an impressive entry, elegant formal living and dining rooms,
gourmet eat-in kitchen with top of the line appliances opens to large family
room, 4 bdrms plus huge bonus room or 2nd family room and an exercise room
or 5th bdrm, 3 full baths, private master suite with views, 3 car garage plus an
additional garage for horse trailer or car, pool, and much more! $1,700,000

You’ll love the setting of this classic Orinda home at 4400 El Nido Ranch Road. Located on a private court, away
from the street, this home features beautiful trees and a large front lawn. It was recently remodeled and enjoys a
fully-permitted downstairs guest apartment with separate entrance, kitchen-living room combo and bath.
Call Jim Colhoun at 925.200.2795 for additional information.
Offered at $1,595,000

El Pintado Loop! This beautiful estate down a private lane in Danville offers over 6000 sq. ft. on approximately 2 acres with 6 bedrooms,
5 full bathrooms and 2 half baths, and includes a formal living room and dining room. Pool, spa, room for vineyard.
Call for Details | www.220PiedmontLane.com

It’s no secret that many homeowners halt on listing homes
after realizing the high cost that comes with a capital gains
tax. With this in mind we’ve compiled expert insight on how
to offset this common tax woe by converting a principal
residence into a temporary rental property to utilize both the
IRC 121 and 1031 Exchange.

couples/$250,000 for individuals). However, if you were to rent out
your home for one to three years of those five years after living there,
then you’d also be able to qualify for the 1031 exchange. (Be sure to
discuss the recommended rental period with your tax advisor).
However, some homeowners don’t want to convert their property
to a full-time investment and wish to sell right away. If this is the
case and sellers think the gain on the property will exceed the 121
exemption, then the seller and the Realtor can discuss whether the
home currently has a second use. If the client has a home office, or if
they rent any portion of the property, then it can be viewed as both

Basics of Capital Gains Tax
To put it simply a capital gain occurs when you sell something for a
higher price than you purchased it, which is essentially a guarantee in
the Bay Area’s housing market. Consequently many homeowners shy
away from selling their primary residence due to the colossal tax that
comes the profit. For instance, if you purchased your property for
$200,000 thirty years ago, which includes any capital improvements
done on the property, and were to sell it for its current value of
$1,500,000, then you’d have a profit of $1,300,000. Per the IRC 121
if the homeowners are married, then they’re able keep $500,000 of
the profit, but would have to pay a capital gains tax on the remaining
$800,000. Whereas, individuals would be able to keep $250,000 of
the profit.
“Most people don’t appreciate how substantial of a hit a capital gains
tax can be. By the time you factor in state and federal taxes, depending
on the clients income level, capital gains tax can be anywhere from
25 to 35 percent of whatever the profit is,” says Ron Richard, Certified
Exchange Specialist and Vice President of Investment Property
Exchange Services, Inc. “So, it’s a substantial amount which stops a
lot of people from selling their property because they don’t want to
give one-third of it to the government.”

1031 Exchange
So, how can you work around this? Well, homeowners interested
in selling their primary residence can convert their home into a
temporary rental property, which would enable them to utilize the
1031 exchange. Within 180 days of sale you would then have to
purchase another investment property of equal or greater value to
your home’s sales price minus the exclusion. For example, if you sell
a property for $1.5 million and were able to keep $500,000 through
the primary residence exclusion, then you only have to reinvest $1
million dollars into a new investment property in order to not be
taxed capital gains on the $1.5 million sale.
Let’s explain things a bit further. The law says a homeowner must live
in a property for a minimum of two years out of the last five to deem
it a primary residence and receive the IRC 121 exclusion ($500,000 for

an investment and a residence at the same time. If this is the case,
that percentage that they are declaring to the IRS as non-residence
of the property can qualify for a 1031 exchange.
“So, if I’m renting out a room, or say 20 percent of my house, then I
could do an exchange on 20 percent of my sales price, and the rest
I could get that $250,000 exclusion if I were single or $500,000 if I
were married,” says Ricard.
Naturally the paperwork involved with a 1031 Exchange is quite
robust, so the IRS requires an intermediary to facilitate the process.
Due to its complexity, professionals like Ricard dedicate their
entire business to handling 1031 Exchanges. For more information
on how to manage your capital gain with an IRC 121 or 1031
Exchange contact Ron Richard of Investment Property Exchange
Services, Inc at (877) 747-7875.

Welcome Home to Extraordinary Living!
Offered at $920,000 | 137LosAltosAvenue.com

Rejuvenate in the Eichler design of this 4 bdom single story Walnut Creek home featuring floor to ceiling windows and glass sliding doors
bringing the outdoors in to everyday living! The open concept floor plan surrounds a roof covered atrium with skylight windows, providing
a sunlit space usable year-round. Updated kitchen embraces the modern architecture featuring stainless counters, glass tile backsplash,
custom cabinetry and a large island. The many amenities include cherrywood flooring, open beam ceilings, modern fixtures and remodeled
baths. Large backyard offers lawn, garden areas and patio. Located in desirable Rancho San Miguel with a swim club, two blocks to Heather
Farm Park, short bike ride to Bart, one block to shopping and Peetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee! This home has it all for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred lifestyle.

Received Multiple Offers and sold for $745,000! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath
townhouse-style condominium with attached 2 car garage at
Lafayette Pointe! Desirable end unit with no one above or below,
this spacious 1680+ sqft two story home has privacy yet easy
accessibility, remodeled baths and kitchen!

Leslie K. Mills
(925) 683-0925

www.SmithMillsHomes.com | Info@SmithMillsHomes.com
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